How to Calculate Your Vehicle's Gas Mileage
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Calculating Miles Per Gallon - Using Elementary School Math
Written by: Larry Coffey
If you bought your car from a dealer, there was a sticker on the side giving you the gas mileage for highway and for city driving. That's great, except that your commute is probably a little of both, and resembles nothing like the test track used to measure gas mileage. Furthermore, you probably aren't a trained test track driver, privy to inside knowledge that makes you an expert at squeezing the last drop of gas from a new automobile.
No, you're probably more like me, sometimes making a jack-rabbit start, just to get ahead of the annoying guy singing to his radio in the car next to you at the stoplight. Or maybe you break harder than normal because while you were trying to find the station he was listening to on your own dial - because despite his singing it was a cool tune - that you didn't see the bus pull out in front of you.
Though a bit silly, I use those points to illustrate that our own driving habits and roads are very different from how the gas mileage on your new car sticker was computed. So, how do you figure your real world gas mileage?
(photo credit: Alisha Vargas)
If you bought your car from a dealer, there was a sticker on the side giving you the gas mileage for highway and for city driving. That's great, except that your commute is probably a little of both, and resembles nothing like the test track used to measure gas mileage. Furthermore, you probably aren't a trained test track driver, privy to inside knowledge that makes you an expert at squeezing the last drop of gas from a new automobile.
No, you're probably more like me, sometimes making a jack-rabbit start, just to get ahead of the annoying guy singing to his radio in the car next to you at the stoplight. Or maybe you break harder than normal because while you were trying to find the station he was listening to on your own dial - because despite his singing it was a cool tune - that you didn't see the bus pull out in front of you.
Though a bit silly, I use those points to illustrate that our own driving habits and roads are very different from how the gas mileage on your new car sticker was computed. So, how do you figure your real world gas mileage?
(photo credit: Alisha Vargas)
Calculate Miles Driven on a Tank of Gas
The simplest way, the one I describe here, requires two fillups. You first take an odometer reading on the initial fillup, then drive as you normally would until it's time to get gas again, and then note the amount of gas it takes to fill up the tank again (in gallons, not dollars), and take a second odometer reading before you leave the gas station.
On paper it goes something like this. First calculate the number of miles you've driven by subtracting the first odometer reading from the second:
Subtract the first odometer reading from the second odometer reading to get the total miles driven.
On paper it goes something like this. First calculate the number of miles you've driven by subtracting the first odometer reading from the second:
Second odometer reading:
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
- First odometer reading:
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_______________
Total miles driven:
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Subtract the first odometer reading from the second odometer reading to get the total miles driven.
Calculate Miles Per Gallon
Now you take the total miles driven and divide that by the amount of gas (in gallons) you just bought.
Divide the miles driven by the number of gallons to get your car's gas mileage.
Total miles driven:_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
___________________________
=
Miles per gallon:_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Gallons purchased:_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Divide the miles driven by the number of gallons to get your car's gas mileage.
Five Easy Steps to Calculate Your Gas Mileage
Using a Java Applet
Here's the simple method. Follow the steps below to gather the numbers, and then plug them into the Java applet below.
If there is an error running the MPG Calculator, see below on how to install Java onto your computer.
- Fill up your gas tank and write down the number on your odometer.
- Drive your car normally for a few days, or until it needs more gas.
- Fill up your gas tank and again write down the number on your odometer.
- Write down the amount of gas you put into your car (in gallons).
- Plug those numbers into the applet below and press Compute!.
vvvvv
---> Click here to see the MPG Calculator! <---
^^^^^
If there is an error running the MPG Calculator, see below on how to install Java onto your computer.
Installing Java on Your Computer
Couldn't run the applet above because you don't yet have an updated or installed version of Java on your system?
Java's free, it's secure, and many websites use its features. Simply go here: http://www.java.com and click the Free Java Download button on that page.
Warning: You'll probably have to close and restart your web browser (but not your computer) after you install Java.
Java's free, it's secure, and many websites use its features. Simply go here: http://www.java.com and click the Free Java Download button on that page.
Warning: You'll probably have to close and restart your web browser (but not your computer) after you install Java.
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AlishaV
Mar 24, 2010 @ 7:23 pm | delete
- I've noticed calculating my mileage really helps me adjust my driving, and it's especially good for those long road trips :)
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Written by: Larry Coffey
by LarryCoffey
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